Jerry has already filled everyone in on Beer Institute stats but here are a
few more tidbits.
BEER
1) In 1977 12% of beer sold in the US was in refillable bottles
2) About 80 percent of packaged beer in Canada is sold in refillable bottles.
3) 16% of beer in MA (a bottle bill state) as Jerry P pointed out is sold
in refillables. This is primarily due to the fact (it is assumed) that
refillables are exempt from the MA bottle bill, which means that the
distributors get to keep the unclaimed deposits rather than turning them
over to the state).
SOFT DRINKS
Refillable soda bottles are in broad use in W Europe, but the soft drink
industry is working overtime to dismantle the system. Germany requires all
beverages to maintain a certain % of their beverage containers in
refillables (I think it's 70%). Refillable soda bottles have staged a
comeback in Asia too, mainly due to the economy. It is more economical to
BUY and SELL soda in refillables, if there is a reverse distribution system
in place.
We have some info on refillables on our website (www.igc.apc.org/cri/) and
hope to be getting more up soon.
Pat Franklin
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
At 04:47 PM 1/21/99 EST, RESRECYCLE@aol.com wrote:
>I have data regarding beer refilling by state for the period of 1977-1997
>(1998 data are due soon) that support Bill's conclusions. Refilling in 1997
>varied from a high of 16 percent marketshare in Massachusetts, followed by
>Iowa at 11 percent and Connecticut at 10 percent. All are deposit states. At
>the bottom end are 23 states at 1 percent, including Texas. Thus, just 3
>percent of 1997 U.S. beer sales on a volume basis were in refillables.
>
>Jerry Powell
>Resource Recycling Magazine
>
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